I’m angrier than an alcoholic without booze over this one, folks. Let’s get right down to it. WNYT, the local NBC affiliate, is reporting that a “persistent felon” has been sentenced to prison for over 100 years. That’s a long time, and he’ll definitely die in prison one way or another.
Joshua Hodgson, 43, of Mayfield, New York, was found guilty by a jury of his peers of twenty felonies and three misdemeanors that came about when a jury found that he’d had sexual relations with a 13-year-old teenage girl.
The story goes that he was taken in by the girl’s father, who gave him shelter and even got him a job. During the sentence, the judge called Hodgson a “monster” and a “predator.” He does have a rap sheet, so he’s already a felon.
But let’s talk about this. A man in his early forties having sex with a 13-year-old girl. What was going through his mind that made him think that he would get away with it? I mean, the girl obviously told someone what happened. If she hadn’t come forward, then he probably would have moved on to other girls.
Let’s be fair here. What was going through the girl’s mind? Unless there was some sort of physical force that he used, she willingly had sex with him. Of course, she’s too young to consent and let’s be frank…gross. What makes girls that age sleep with men who are old enough to be their father?
I’m not victim blaming here. She’s clearly too young to appreciate what she did, especially when it comes to a sex act. She is the victim in this matter. She is probably mentally damaged because of what she either did or because of what was forced upon her.
She’s too young to engage in any sex act, but it’d be easier to swallow if the guy were her age. With 40+ years between them, there’s obviously no excuse. Again, not victim blaming, but she should have ran far and fast.
Now, New York, just like every other state, has an age of consent. Young women have to be 17 before it’s legal for a grown man to have sex with them in this state. Given that, this guy wouldn’t even have been in trouble if the girl in question had been 17, unless he forced her into it. Then that would be rape,
Then again, I don’t think there are many young ladies who are 17 who would sleep with a man my age. I know of at least one, and therefore, what we did was absolutely legal. I couldn’t help myself; she started flirting with me and I tried to resist it because of the age gap, but my hormones took over. But that was many, many years ago.
I always tell you, my reader, when I have to have full disclosure when it comes to things like that. I am no saint in this department. So if I’m calling this guy out, I need to call myself out as well.
Back in 1998, when I was twenty, two 16-year-old girls would always visit me in a now-closed store in a mall in New Jersey. Well, honestly, one of them had just turned 16 a few days prior and the other girl was a few months shy of 17. They were both legal, in harmony with NJ state law.
Over time, things developed and one day, all three of us became involved in the stockroom. I pulled the gate first and up a sign that said I was out for lunch. Well, put it this way, it wasn’t a total lie.
Unlike this monster, though, what I did was perfectly legal in New Jersey as the AOC is 16. Would I go younger than 17 in New York or 16 in Nevada or New Jersey if I could get away with it?
No.
Even if I could walk away free of accountability, I don’t think I could justify sleeping with a girl that young. That was then, this is now.
These days, my dealings with minor girls have been completely legal. Some have inferred that I had an inappropriate relationship with one girl at church, who has since passed on. I can honestly say that I never had any reason to be afraid of law enforcement scrutiny.
I have no interest in having anything to do with girls who are underage. After all, I do draw the line somewhere, whereas this guy didn’t even try to draw his.
One might infer that the encounters with the two real good friends in the mall happened only once, but that was not the case. Over the summer, we pulled the gate a lot of times. One of the girls even hooked up with me alone at my place. Again, it was legal at the time and it was awesome, because we were only four years apart. The fact that it was legal made it hotter.
I share that only because for me to talk about this guy and not confess to my misdeeds would be hypocritical.
Now, what this guy did was way over the line. She was well below the AOC. I can’t possibly consider having a sexual relationship with a girl that age, even if she’s mature beyond her years. I can honestly say that I would be strong enough to run far and run fast before things got out of hand. This guy clearly didn’t run. The fact that he didn’t speaks volumes. And it’s scary. I mean, how young was he willing to go?
This guy will be behind bars until they wheel him out, toes up. This will happen one of two ways: first, he could die of old age. The other way is that his fellow inmates will find out what he did. And they won’t be impressed. Once they do find out, he could find out what they think of a grown man screwing a 13-year-old. Even if he were 18, it’d still be illegal and inappropriate. And that’s also way too much of an age gap.
I have to wonder if it was worth it for him, No sex is good enough to be worth even a moment in prison. Too bad that he didn’t get the memo. On the flip side, he’ll probably be getting laid as many times as he wants (or doesn’t want!) in prison. That’s right where he belongs.